Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-02
Virginia victrix and Virginia in
VIncuIis.

To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
There is an ominous truce in the
coupon war" extending along nearly
the whole line, but it is the calm that
precedes the storm, the feverish unrest
that comes before the battle. Before
the ides of March a decision will have
been made by the United States Su-
preme Court that will recognize Vir-
ginia as sovereign State or as a
mere satrapy, under judicial autocrat.
So long as the issues and circumstances
attending the discussion of Virginia's
debt were matters of dollars and cents
Virginians could differ, without ire
parable injury to the State. But when
the whole phase of the question has so
changed as to threaten the autonomy
of our Commonwealth, then indeed it
is strange, passing strange, that native
born Virginians should aid and abet in
crusade whose aim is to strip Vir-
ginia OF
EVERY PRESTIGE OF SOVEREIGNTY.
When the points under discussion
were whether "war interest should be
allowed" " whether interest twice com
pounded should be tolerated, whe-
| Their Legislature, even though tainted
with bribery and corruption could
bind the sovereign people by irrepara
bic enaetments. our people divided and
argued for Retrospective views through
long and bitter years. All parties, at
length, endorsed settlement that was
believed to be by all the very best to
which Virginia would ever agree. The
Rlddleberger settlement is the expo
nent of formulation and Wtima'nm of
the Democratic, Reidjuster, and Re
publican parties. The bondholders,
despairing OF a favorable political solu
ton since all parties were against
them, conceived the idea of forcing
a sovereign State" Their successes in
this direction have encouraged them.
Securing by a majority of one de-
cision of tie United States Supreme
Court--a Judicial usurpation they
have established line of demarkation
between a State and its officers. Vir-
ginia' officers, obeying Virginia's laws,
are declared trespassers; Virginla's
| Constitution, guaranteeing a stated
support to her free schools, is set at
naught by an act of Legislature
tainted with corruption-this support
alienated from the specific purposes
for which it was levied; Virginia's In
dcmnity Board, created by Yirginias
| legislature, is threatened to be en-
Joined from paying Virginia's mo-
ney as Virginias people desire
and direct. This is not all {:
| The abysmal depths of deeper degra
dation threaten us. Virginia's juries
are threatened with personalindictment
for obeying the laws of Virginia and
of their own consciences. This jury
system was the most precious right ever
wrested from tyrannical crown by
British manhood the pearl beyond all
price bequeathed us by our English and
Virginian ancestry. Shall we surren-
der it without exhausting every consti-
tutional remedy in its defence ? This
is our situation now Where is
THE REMEDY?
Obey the rulings of the Supreme
Court. Accept even Judicial usurpa-
ton " of rump court as law; receive
the coupons at face value, 50 that hold
ers thereof will have no case for litiga-
ton /; follow the precedent established
in the McCulloch bill of issuing
tax-receivable certificates then in
crease the rate of taxation and adjust
the price of these certificates, so that
taxpayers real outlay would be the
same as at present, and, at the same
time, coupon-holders would find q
greater value in funding in Riddles
than in offering them for taxes. Sup
plement these acts by an act instruct
ing levying officers, when selling pro-
perry for taxes, to make such amounts
only as may be necessary to settle the
tax-bill when invested in tax-receivable
certificates. There are only two legal
propositions embraced in this remedy
First. Has State the right to issue
tax.receivable certificates and aaix a
price at which they may be sold for
cash ? Second. Has a State the right
TO fix her rate of taxation? Law and
precedent, we think, will sustain both
propositions. Yirginians will sustain
the men that uphold Virginia's sover-
eighty and abandon those who by In
ection, or worse, would make us sing
again, "Pae 0icfiS."
U,n1r<tr. no,7orDAT